Why patience is the key to Indian cookery

Carefully cutting around a pastry top, it’s lifted off the bowl to reveal a lamb shank leg inside – the tender meat effortlessly falling off the bone as it’s removed and mixed into the rice.

This is a traditional Kolkata-style biryani, made in a clay pot, with saffron, baby potatoes and fresh plums, and sealing with dough helps keep the steam in and the rice moist while the lamb slow cooks.

“There are about 18 to 20 variations of biryani in India. This is a different style to what we normally cook on the north side of India,” says chef Rohit Ghai on the newly-opened Vatavaran in London.

“I think a lot of people’s only experience [of biryanis] is Indian takeaways or most people, they make biryani the North Indian-style – there are two versions that are very common. But if you dig into it, you come to know that every single region has their own kind of biryani.”

On the island of Goa, the local biryani is made with prawns, for example. “In Kerala, south India, there’s a small Muslim community and they make their own biryanis, while the brahmin people [a Hindu group] also make their own,” explains the 42-year-old, who has also worked under with Atul Kochhar – the first-ever Indian chef to win a Michelin star in the UK in 2001.

“Hyderabadi is the most popular biryani [from the state of Telangana] they make it in layers – some is started with raw rice and raw meat, that’s the most special, unique thing for hyderabadi biryani. They call it Kachay Gosht – meaning raw mutton and raw rice.”

Transformation

Ghai, who is considered to have been a big part of the transformation of the Indian fine dining scene, with a growing group of London restaurants, including Jamavar – which gained a Michelin star within 10 months of opening – Manthan and Kutir, as well as restaurants in Oman, Morocco and Qatar.

The interior of the new multi-storeyed Vatavaran (its name meaning ‘atmosphere’ in Sanskrit) is inspired by elements of the Himalayan landscape, with a low-lit cocktail bar, Shikhar, at the very top – the word translating to mountain peak. On the menu you’ll find some pan-Indian textbook classics, alongside Ghai’s signature lamb shank biryani, whole rotisserie masala chicken with bone marrow sauce and a sea bass ‘reachaedo’ with Goan spices.

While Ghai is all about elevating Indian cuisine – “I know where we can slightly tweak without compromising with the flavours, because Indian food is all about flavours” – he believes any home cook can learn to make great Indian food, but you do need time.

“To be honest, Indian food is very easy to make, but it is time consuming. It’s quite a process, it’s quite lengthy. You only need onions, tomatoes and garlic, which you can get everywhere, it’s not rocket science but you have to have patience.

“Caramelising onion, it’s long, especially for north Indian food, it takes a little while because you have to caramelise the onion properly and that’s the hardest part.”

From dals and biryanis to chicken, caramelised onion features in many classic Indian dishes – and the slow cooking releases the vegetable’s natural sugars.

“To reduce the timing when you I always recommend always using a little salt – it will speed up the process,” he suggests. “If you have patience, your final product will be outstanding.”

Family influence

Born in Gwalior, a city in the mid-North of India, to Punjabi parents, Ghai grew up in a household with 13 people, as one of four siblings but his uncle’s family also lived in the same home. “I spent a lot of time between the Punjab and north India,” he says, so much of his food reflects these regions.

As the youngest in the family, he would spend a lot of time during school holidays with only his mum. “She is the absolute cook,” Ghai says, whose father died two years ago. His parents were vegetarian and raised their children that way too. “In the old days you hardly got any takeaways or anything, on special occasions we used to go out to try different places, but most of the time it was homemade.

“Every day she used to make some dishes from Punjab. Being Punjabi we used to have a heavy breakfast – parathas are very popular – so every single day she used to make stuffed parathas with potatoes, cheese, sometimes spinach, handmade with a dollop of butter. It was rich food.”

He remembers learning to cook with his mum during summers with temperatures peaking around 45 degrees Celsius, although nowadays they can reach 50. “I still remember when I was a kid I used to make a lot of little triangle parathas, that’s very common in all households in India,” he says, and they’re on the menu at his Manthan eatery. “You need to crush it with both hands and you will see the layers, it’s very crunchy and crusty.”

After school there was “no plan for hospitality” but he found himself at cookery college, where the restaurant industry seemed “very glamorous” and he trained at Oberoi Hotels.

Ghai says: “We started in the morning and there was no finish time – 14 or 15-hour days. But after college the main agenda was to get a good break from one of the big hotel chains – in those days if you started your career with a standalone restaurant there were restrictions for you. But the Taj was top notch. It was a very difficult task to get into a hotel abroad [though].”

After a couple of years he told the senior staff that his “dream city” was London. “In our industry London is one of the biggest foodie hubs and all of the legendary chefs are from Europe.”

Although he was training in Western fine dining, he convinced a senior chef to spend time to help him learn and understand Indian food. “After finishing my regular shift in Western food, I used to spend a couple of hours every single day in an Indian kitchen.”

Breakthrough

His breakthrough was with the Taj group, whose expertise was Indian cookery. “The early days were really tough for me – a lot of hard work on unlimited working hours.”

In 2008 an opportunity arose to work with Atul Kochhar at London’s famous Indian Michelin star kitchen – Benares. “It was eye-opening for me,” says Ghai. “15 or 20 years back, there was a huge difference between the Indian market and European market.

Your local Indian might not be showcasing the best of the cuisine, Ghai suggests. “The Europeans love to have their curry nights but there are 300 dishes on the menus of curry houses – the base will be the same and they use edible colours to make it different. When you order four things together you hardly find any difference.

“Indian food has a lot of depth and it’s a vast country” – and he’s determined to do it justice.

Hispi cabbage with sesame-spiced yoghurt recipe

Try this cabbage on a grill or BBQ for authentic char.

Give restaurant-classic hispi cabbage an Indian twist with spices. Chef Rohit Ghai serves this dish up in his new restaurant Vatavaran in London.

Hispi cabbage with sesame-spiced yoghurt

Ingredients

(Serves 2-3 as a side dish)

1 x hispi cabbage

For the glaze:

100g fresh coriander, roughly chopped

15g mint leaves

10 garlic cloves

2tbsp lime juice

1tbsp coarse black pepper

4 green chillies (adjust to taste)

1tbsp balsamic vinegar

100ml olive oil

Salt, to taste

For the sesame-spiced yoghurt:

8-10 fried garlic cloves, finely chopped or mashed

1tsp dried mint

2tbsp sesame paste

50g yoghurt

1tsp garam masala

Salt, to taste

Method

1. Make the sesame-spiced yoghurt: mix all ingredients in a bowl, adjust seasoning to personal preference, and refrigerate until needed.

2. Make the glaze: blend all ingredients into a fine, thick paste. Adjust spice level by increasing or reducing green chillies.

3. Preheat the oven to 180°C or heat a barbecue.

4. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt, and blanch the Hispi cabbage for 30 seconds.

5. Transfer to ice-cold water to stop cooking, then drain on a kitchen towel and cut into four wedges, keeping the core intact

6. Cook the cabbage: If using a frying pan (rather than grill), heat it until hot but not smoking. Sear the cabbage wedges cut-side down for 6-8 minutes until golden and charred. Flip and cook for another 6-8 minutes.

7. Apply the glaze and transfer to a baking tray, cut-side up. Roast in the oven for 6-8 minutes until the stalks are tender

8. Serve hot with sesame-spiced yoghurt.

Fish curry recipe

Step into spring with a lighter curry.

Mangalorean fish curry is known as ‘Meen Gassi’ and is traditionally made with sweet coconut and tamarind, as well as hot chilli.

Mangalore fish curry

Ingredients

(Serves 2-3)

500g stone bass fish

200g onion, very finely chopped

4 green chillies, slit

70g coconut milk

Oil, as required

2tbsp coriander powder

1tbsp red chilli powder

25g tamarind, soaked in warm water

1tbsp turmeric powder

10-15 curry leaves

Salt, to taste

Method

1. Marinate the fish: coat the fish with salt and turmeric, then set aside.

2. Extract juice from the soaked tamarind and keep aside.

3. To prepare the sauce, heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Sauté onions and chillies until golden brown. Stir in red chilli powder, coriander powder, and turmeric powder. Cook for 1 minute. Add tamarind juice and ¾ cup water (or fish stock for more flavour). Boil for 4-5 minutes.

4. To cook the fish: Gently add the marinated fish pieces to the simmering curry in a single layer. Do not stir immediately to prevent breaking the fish. Let it cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes on medium-low heat. Then, carefully turn the pieces using a spoon or by gently shaking the pan. Allow the fish to cook for another 3–5 minutes, depending on the thickness, until it turns opaque and flakes easily. Avoid overcooking, as the fish should remain tender.

If opting for the pan-seared method, heat a little oil in a separate pan over medium heat. Sear the marinated fish for 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown. Once done, gently place the seared fish into the prepared sauce and let it sit for a minute to absorb the flavours before serving.

5. Reduce the heat and stir in coconut milk and curry leaves. Simmer for 1 minute, then remove from heat.

6. Serve hot with plain rice or tawa roti, garnished with fried curry leaves and whole red chillies.

Butter chicken recipe

A takeaway classic you can make at home.

One of the most beloved Indian dishes, butter chicken originated in Delhi in the 1950s. Also known as Murgh Makhani, it’s all about the unctuous, buttery tomato-base sauce.

Butter chicken

Ingredients

(Serves 2-3)

For the chicken marinade:

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut in two)

100g yoghurt

15g Kashmiri red chilli powder

1tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1tbsp mustard oil

1tsp dried kasoori methi

1tbsp lime juice

½tsp garam masala

Salt, to taste

For the sauce:

2kg fresh or canned chopped tomatoes

2tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

2tsp table salt

2 bay leaves

4-5 green cardamom pods

4 peppercorns

1tbsp cumin seeds

2 blades mace

3tbsp rapeseed or vegetable oil

50g roughly chopped ginger

8-10 garlic cloves

3-4 whole green chillies

2tbsp dried fenugreek leaves

1tsp garam masala

50ml honey (if needed)

50ml double cream

50g unsalted butter

Julienned ginger and chopped fresh coriander, for garnish

Method

1. Marinate chicken with ginger-garlic paste, salt, and lime juice. Then, apply a second marinade of yoghurt, Kashmiri chilli powder, garam masala, kasoori methi, mustard oil, and salt. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours.

2. Grill the marinated chicken in a tandoor or preheated oven at 200°C for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.

3. To prepare the sauce, heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add cumin seeds and whole spices, allowing them to crackle for a minute. Add garlic, ginger, and green chillies. Cook briefly before adding the tomatoes.

4. Simmer for 45 minutes with a loosely covered lid.

5. Stir in Kashmiri chilli powder and salt. Let cool slightly before blending into a smooth sauce.

6. Combine and serve: Reheat the sauce and add the cooked chicken.

7. Check seasoning. If too sour, add honey to balance the flavours.

8. Finish with cream, butter, garam masala, and fenugreek leaves. Garnish with julienned ginger and fresh coriander. Serve with naan, roti, or paratha.